In recent times, pharmaceuticals are produced for consumption by patients in the form of capsules containing a given volume of microtablets comprising the active principle. It is obviously essential, therefore, when filling the capsules, that each be filled with exactly the desired volume of microtablets.
The microtablets are normally minute cylinders roughly 2 mm in diameter and 2 mm high.
The inaccuracy with which the microtablets are deposited inside the capsules is mainly caused by the generation of electrostatic forces, which cause the microtablets to form into clusters, a phenomenon which seriously impairs automatic filling of the capsules and, hence, output.